Phrase guide

have one's cake and eat it too

verb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To benefit by having two things which are mutually incompatible (such as eating a piece of cake and yet still possessing that piece for future use).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • It's not possible to get your savings and keep the piggy bank intact. You can't have your cake and eat it too!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

44 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 又要當婊子,又要立牌坊 /又要当婊子 — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Chinese Mandarin: 又要馬兒好,又要馬兒不吃草 /又要马儿好 — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Danish: man kan ikke både blæse og have mel i munden — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Dutch: het is het een of het ander — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Finnish: syödä ja säästää kakku (kakkua ei voi syödä ja säästää) — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Finnish: sekä syödä että säästää kakku (kakkua ei voi sekä syödä että säästää) — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • French: avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • German: auf zwei Hochzeiten gleichzeitig tanzen — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • German: wasch mich, aber mach mich nicht nass — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • German: de Füfer u's Weggli ha — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Hindi: दोनों हाथों में लड्डू होना (donõ hāthõ mẽ laḍḍū honā) — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Hindi: चित भी मेरी, पट भी मेरी (cit bhī merī, paṭ bhī merī) — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Hungarian: azt akarja, hogy a kecske is jóllakjon, és a káposzta is megmaradjon — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Icelandic: ekki verður bæði sleppt og haldið — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Icelandic: bæði sleppa og halda — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Icelandic: bæði halda og sleppa — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Irish: é a bheith i do phota agus i do mhála agat — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Italian: avere la botte piena e la moglie ubriaca — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Maltese: riedha ħobla u tredda’ — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Persian: هم خدا را خواستن و هم خرما را (ham xodâ râ xâstan va ham xormâ râ) — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Persian: هم خرو خواستن هم خرما (ham xar-o xâstan ham xormâ) — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Polish: zjeść ciastko i mieć ciastko — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Polish: albo rybki, albo akwarium — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Polish: albo rybka, albo pipka — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Portuguese: ter sol na eira e chuva no nabal — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Portuguese: querer sol na eira e chuva no nabal — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Romanian: și cu buzele unse, și cu slănina în pod — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Romanian: și cu burta plină, și cu slănina în pod — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Scottish Gaelic: chan fhaodar a' bhò a reic 's a bainne òl — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Scottish Gaelic: cha dèan corrag mhilis ìm — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Serbo-Croatian: имати овце и новце — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Serbo-Croatian: имати јаре и паре — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Serbo-Croatian: imati ovce i novce (i) — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Serbo-Croatian: imati jare i pare (i) — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Spanish: estar a la vez en la procesión y repicando las campanas — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Spanish: querer el oro y el moro — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Spanish: nadar y tener la ropa — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Spanish: estar en misa y repicando — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Spanish: soplar y sorber, no puede ser — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Spanish: tener el oro y el moro — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Spanish: tener la torta y jamearla ansimismo — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Swedish: ha sin kaka och äta den med — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Thai: จับปลาสองมือ — to have two things which are mutually incompatible
  • Welsh: cadw torth a'i bwyta hi — to have two things which are mutually incompatible